New Delhi/Bengaluru, July 29: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said his government has invited his Tamil Nadu counterpart C. Joseph Vijay to visit the Cauvery catchment areas and offered to arrange a helicopter tour to enable him to assess the prevailing water situation in the state firsthand.
Meanwhile, preparations are underwaay at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru ahead of a high-level bilateral meeting between the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments on the long-standing Cauvery water dispute, scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. on August 3, top sources confirmed.
Addressing reporters in Delhi, Shivakumar said: "We have requested Chief Minister Vijay to see the condition of our Cauvery catchment region. I have informed him that helicopter arrangements will also be made if required so that he can assess the ground reality himself."
The Chief Minister said Vijay had expressed his willingness to hold discussions on the Cauvery issue and had communicated his interest through both a formal letter and a telephone conversation.
According to Shivakumar, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has written to Karnataka's Chief Secretary and also spoken to him over the phone regarding a possible meeting between the two states over the long-standing river water dispute.
"Chief Minister Joseph Vijay has conveyed his interest in holding discussions with me. He has written to our Chief Secretary and has also spoken to me over the telephone. We have extended to him the respect due to a fellow Chief Minister and invited him for talks," he said.
Emphasising the need for cordial relations between neighbouring states, the Karnataka Chief Minister said it was the state's responsibility to welcome visiting dignitaries with due respect.
"It is our duty to welcome any guest who visits our state with dignity. Therefore, I have invited him to come, and all necessary preparations are being made," he said.
Shivakumar said it was important for Tamil Nadu's leadership to understand the actual conditions in Karnataka's Cauvery basin, particularly at a time when the state is grappling with a significant rainfall deficit.
"He should experience the situation firsthand. Let us see what decision he takes after seeing the realities on the ground," the Chief Minister said.
He added that the visit, if it materialises, could help foster better understanding and harmony between the two states on the sensitive Cauvery issue.
"I do not know what is on his mind. But since he has shown interest in visiting us, it is our responsibility to extend an invitation. Let him come, and we will discuss the matter," Shivakumar added.
The development comes amid heightened tensions over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu despite a substantial shortfall in rainfall across the Cauvery basin this year.
Meanwhile, the meeting on August 3 will take place in the conference hall on the third floor of Vidhana Soudha and is expected to be attended by Chief Ministers Shivakumar and Vijay, Ministers from both states, and senior officials.
According to official sources, extensive arrangements are being made at the venue, including cleaning works, inspection of lighting and air-conditioning systems, and possible replacement of flooring ahead of the event.
The meeting assumes significance as it will mark the first direct bilateral talks between the governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue in more than a decade.
The last such meeting between the Chief Ministers of the two states was held in Bengaluru in November 2012 in an attempt to resolve the water-sharing dispute, though it did not result in a consensus.
The Karnataka government has already announced that it will challenge the CWRC's directive before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), maintaining that it is not in a position to release water due to limited reservoir storage and the need to safeguard drinking water requirements in several districts.
--IANS
